Game.



J. F. S\MPSON.

GAME. APPUCATlON HLED 1AN.26.19I5.

Patented Oct. 12, 1915.

Inventor 7 M 8W W JOSEPH FOURESTIER SIMPSON, OF VINELAND, NEW JERSEY.

GAME.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed January 26, 1915. Serial No. 4.422.

T all whom it may con/ ern:

Be it known that I, JosEPH FOURESTIER Snxrsox, a citizen of the United States. and a resident of Vineland, in the county of Cumberland and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Games, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to an improved bowling game and the object of my invention is to furnish an inexpensive and interesting game which may be played by one or more persons.

My invention comprises an alley of a suitable width and length. a perforated target placed some distance to the rear of the alley. a narrow bridge connecting the rear end of the alley and the target. a ball or balls adapted to be rolled along the alley and bridge, an automatic recording device for indicating the score of any rolled ball or the sum of the score of a number of rolled balls, and a means for automatically returning a rolled ball to the playing end of the alley.

My invention. in addition. consists of certain other details which will be fully described hereinafter.

1 In the accompanyingdrawings forming part of this specification and in which similar letters of reference indicate similar parts throughout the several views Figure 1, is a perspective view of my game apparatus: Fig. 2. a rear elevation of the means for automatically recording the value of the score made by a player: Fig. 3. a front elevation of counter disk, and Fig. 4, a side elevation of Fig. 3.

5 is an alley along which a ball may be rolled. This alley is, say, three feet wide. sixteen feet long and its top is raised about eight inches above the floor level.

6 is the target which is placed, say. about sixteen feet to the rear of the alley 5 and which is connected with this alley by a narrow bridge 7.

8 is a perforation in the target through which a ball. successfully negotiating the bridge 7, may pass. Beneath the bridge 7 the face of the target 6 carries a pocket 9 and 10 is a perforation in the faceof the target. back of pocket 9. through which a ball falling off of bridge 7 when close to the target and caught by the pocket can pass.

The game is played by rolling a ball along the alley 5 so that it will engage and roll up the inclined bridge 7 and into perforation {5, or missing this perforation and falling Into pocket 9, will pass through perforation 10. If the ball passes through perforation t? it will drop upon a lever 11, Fig. 2, which is pivoted at 12 depressing one end of this lever and raising its other end which carries a rod 13 which carries a pawl 14 which engages a ratchet wheel 15. The movement of the lever 11 is such that it causes the ratchet wheel 15 to be moved the space of two of its teeth. A stop pawl 16 prevents a reverse movement of the ratchet wheel 15.

If the ball is caught by pocket 9 and passes through perforation 10 it drops upon lever 17 pivoted at 18. and raises the end of this lever that carries the rod 19 which is attached also to pawl 1-1:. The lever 17 moves only sufficiently to cause the pawl 14 to move the ratchet wheel 15 the space of one tooth.

Attached to the shaft 20 of the ratchet wheel is a disk 21 which is figured substantially as shown in Fig. 3, that is to say so that each double movement of the ratchet wheel 15. as carried by a depression of lever 11. will bring the figures 100. 200, 300, &c.. into register with a slot 22 in the face of target (5 (see Fig. 1) while every single movement of this ratchet wheel, as caused by a depression of the lever 17, will cause the figures 50, 100. 150, &c. to be brought into register with slot 22.

The game having been completed, so far as one player is concerned, a connection. a cord, chain or cable 23. is pulled at the front end of alley 5, through a foot pedal 24, Fig. 1. for instance. to operate a bell-crank lever 25. Fig. 2 which through a cord or connection 26 lifts the pawls 14-1() out of contact with ratchet wheel 15 when a weight 27 attached to a cord 28 passing around a drum 2!) in shaft '30 will return the counter disk 21 so that the zero mark thereon will be brought in register with the opening 22 in target (3.

The form of counter above described may be greatly modified without departing from the spirit of my invention for I show it merely as a simple means for recording the countable shots of my game.

Should the ball roll off the bridge 7 or should it not engage this bridge it will fall upon the side-wise inclined base board 30 which will cause it to be directed to one side of this board along which it will roll to the Patented Oct. 12, 1915.

inclosed gutter 31 alongside the alley 5 and thence to the playing end of this latter. Balls'that pass through holes 8-l0 in tar get (3 presently fall to the bottom of this target and passthrough a hole 32 in the lower end of its face and thence to base board 30 and to gutter 31.

32 is a slot machine, of well known con struction, at the front end of gutter 31 which can be operated by a coin to release the balls preparatory to the commencement of a game or innings of a game.

Having thus described my invention I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent lfIn a bowling game, in combination, an alley, a target, and a narrow upwardly inclined plane forming a bridge from the top of which the ball passes to said target.

2. In a bowling game, in combination, an

alley, an apertured target to the rear of said alley, and an inclined bridge, narrower than said alley, connecting said alley and target.

3. In a bowling game, in combination, an alley, an apertured target to the rear of said alley, an upwardly inclined bridge, narrower than said alley, connecting said alley and target, and a pocket carried by said target beneath said bridge.

4. In a bowling game, in combination, an alley, an apertured target to the rear of said alley, an upwardly inclined bridge, narrower than said alley,'connecting said alley and target, and a counting means adapted to be operated by a ball aperture in said target.

JOSEPH FOURESTIER SIMPSON.

'itnesses CHARLES A. BUTTER, (.lHARLES HERMON.

passing through an 35 

